Friday, February 4

Preview: The German 7,5cm Pak40 tank killer with 4 figures from Das Werk.

One of the most numerous guns used by the Germans & her allies in WWII, the  7,5cm Pak40 gun and her crew of four figures is Das Werk's latest kit in 1/35th scale to come to market. We look at the original gun and the kit's contents in our preview... 

Preview: The German 7,5cm Pak40 tank killer with 4 figures from Das Werk.

German 7,5cm Pak40 with 4 Figures
from Das Werk.
Kit Number: #DW35027
1/35th Scale
RRP TBA
Available (only from Europe): End March 2022
The Subject: 
The 7,5cm Panzerabwehrkanone 40 (7,5cm PaK 40) is a German anti-tank gun. The development of the 7,5cm PaK 40 began after Soviet tank designs were reported in 1939. The 5cm PaK 38 was still in testing at this point, but it appeared it would not powerful enough to deal with the newer designs. Contracts were placed with Krupp and Rheinmetall to develop a 75mm version of the PaK 38. The PaK 40 is the version put forth by Rheinmetall, and the PaK 41 is the version from Krupp.


PaK 40 and crew in training in France, 1943
The Pak 40 was the standard German anti-tank gun until the end of the war, and was supplied by Germany to its allies. Some captured guns were used by the Soviet Red Army. A Finnish army Pak 40 in firing position during the Continuation War 23,303 Pak 40s were produced, and about 3,500 more were used to arm tank destroyers. The unit manufacturing cost amounted to 2,200 man-hours at 12,000 RM.

German Panzerjäger use a Pak 40 against Yugoslav partisans in Bosnia on 12 January 1944.
The weapon was effective against almost every Allied tank until the end of the war, only struggling to penetrate heavier vehicles like the Russian IS tanks, the American M4A3E2 Sherman 'Jumbo' assault tank and M26 Pershing, and later variants of the British Churchill tank. The Pak 40 was much heavier than the Pak 38; its decreased mobility meant that it was difficult or even impossible to move without an artillery tractor on boggy ground.

Pak 40 anti-tank gun crew set up in a French village in the Alsace region at the end of January 1945
The main differences amongst the rounds fired by 75 mm German guns were in the length and shape of the cartridge cases as well as the primers used. The 7.5 cm KwK 40 (75x495mm) used in tanks had a fixed cartridge case twice the length of that used by the 7.5 cm KwK 37, the short barrelled 75 mm used on earlier tanks, and the 7.5 cm Pak 40 cartridge was a third longer than that used by the KwK 40. The Pak 40 used a percussion primer, while the vehicle mounted 75 mm guns used electrical primers. Other than minor differences with the projectiles' driving bands, all German 75 mm guns used the same 75mm projectiles.

A restored version of the Pak 40 in the present day. Many of these guns survived due to the mount made and the many thatres of war they served in.

This kit from Das Werk
This kit has many neat features that will attract several modellers to it. Not only the fact that the kit contains her four crew to bring it to life! They are promised to have lifelike poses, so they must be firing and servicing the gun one would think.

Early days yet, but some CAD drawings of the gun are below showing the details captured by the designers.

There are three types of wheels included and three types of optional muzzle breaks for the gun supplied in the kit.
Photo-etched Parts are included for the parts that are too small to recreate from plastic,
The 7.5cm Ammo, Crates & Accessories for the gun are there too.

Optional damaged rubber bandages included
Decals for the ammunition and the crates to carry it are included.
Three different decal & marking options are included for the gun

 The price is currently TBA, and it swill be available from the end of March. You can find out more information on this kit, or where to pre-order it from the Das Werk Website